The effect of empathy on remote social connections via paired robots.

A range of devices and technologies are available to mediate social connections between geographically distant people. Some of these methods exploit awareness information to enhance the connectedness of distant users. However, the effect of user traits on the experience of interpersonal communication through awareness systems remains unclear.

Prognostic value of immune biomarkers in melanoma loco-regional metastases.

The prognosis for patients with melanoma loco-regional metastases is very heterogenous. Adjuvant PD-L1-inhibitors have improved clinical outcome for this patient group, but the prognostic impact of tumour PD-L1 expression and number of tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is still largely unknown. Here, we investigated the impact on survival for CD3, CD8, FOXP3 and PD-L1 TIL counts and tumour PD-L1 expression in melanoma loco-regional metastases.

Tailoring anaesthetic strategies for diabetes research: Acepromazine vs. medetomidine in Aachen minipigs.

Pre-established anaesthetic protocols in animal models might unexpectedly interfere with the main outcome of scientific projects and therefore they need to account for the specific research goals. We aimed to optimize the anaesthetic protocol and animal handling strategies in a diabetes-related-study exemplifying how the anaesthetic approach must be adjusted for individual research targets. Aachen minipigs were used as a model to test long-lasting skin glucose sensors for diabetic human patients.

Modelling epidemiological dynamics with pseudo-recovery via fractional-order derivative operator and optimal control measures.

In this study, a new deterministic mathematical model based on fractional-order derivative operator that describes the pseudo-recovery dynamics of an epidemiological process is developed. Fractional-order derivative of Caputo type is used to examine the effect of memory in the spread process of infectious diseases with pseudo-recovery. The well-posedness of the model is qualitatively investigated through Banach fixed point theory technique.

EDEM-based study on the adjustable feeding parameters of square bale maize straw bale-breaking device.

One of the primary challenges faced by small rubbing filament machines is the significant variability in material sizes, particularly in the feeding direction. This variability complicates the processing of locally baled straw with a single device. To address this issue, an adjustable feeding and bale-breaking device was developed and tested to enhance the filamentous performance of baled straw.

ISLRWR: A network diffusion algorithm for drug-target interactions prediction.

Machine learning techniques and computer-aided methods are now widely used in the pre-discovery tasks of drug discovery, effectively improving the efficiency of drug development and reducing the workload and cost. In this study, we used multi-source heterogeneous network information to build a network model, learn the network topology through multiple network diffusion algorithms, and obtain compressed low-dimensional feature vectors for predicting drug-target interactions (DTIs). We applied the metropolis-hasting random walk (MHRW) algorithm to improve the performance of the random walk with restart (RWR) algorithm, forming the basis by which the self-loop probability of the current node is removed.

Habitat suitability mapping and landscape connectivity analysis to predict African swine fever spread in wild boar populations: A focus on Northern Italy.

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious disease affecting wild and domestic pigs, characterised by severe haemorrhagic symptoms and high mortality rates. Originally confined to Sub-Saharan Africa, ASF virus genotype II has spread to Europe since 2014, mainly affecting Eastern Europe, and progressing through wild boar migrations and human action. In January 2022, the first case of ASF, due to genotype II, was reported in North-western Italy, in a wild boar carcass.

A cross-sectional study on the assessment of adherence to cardiovascular medications in Sudan heart center.

Background: Non-adherence to cardiovascular medications is a global problem with clinical, economic, and humanistic consequences. Investigation of this problem may open the road for proper management of cardiovascular diseases.

Objective: Our objectives were to assess the level of adherence to, and to examine factors influencing adherence to, cardiovascular medications in subjects visiting a heart center in Sudan.

Linking citation and retraction data reveals the demographics of scientific retractions among highly cited authors.

Retractions are becoming increasingly common but still account for a small minority of published papers. It would be useful to generate databases where the presence of retractions can be linked to impact metrics of each scientist. We have thus incorporated retraction data in an updated Scopus-based database of highly cited scientists (top 2% in each scientific subfield according to a composite citation indicator).

SAASNets: Shared attention aggregation Siamese networks for building change detection in multispectral remote sensing.

Interfered by external factors, the receptive field limits the traditional CNN multispectral remote sensing building change detection method. It is difficult to obtain detailed building changes entirely, and redundant information is reused in the encoding stage, which reduces the feature representation and detection performance. To address these limitations, we design a Siamese network of shared attention aggregation to learn the detailed semantics of buildings in multispectral remote sensing images.

Signals of propaganda-Detecting and estimating political influences in information spread in social networks.

Social networks are a battlefield for political propaganda. Protected by the anonymity of the internet, political actors use computational propaganda to influence the masses. Their methods include the use of synchronized or individual bots, multiple accounts operated by one social media management tool, or different manipulations of search engines and social network algorithms, all aiming to promote their ideology.

High pulse pressure is associated with an increased risk of prediabetes in hypertensive individuals: A retrospective study based on an adult Chinese population.

Objectives: The pulse pressure (PP) is an important factor influencing the outcomes of diabetes. However, the relationship between the PP and prediabetes has been rarely studied and how this association might be impacted by hypertension is not clear.

Methods: In this study, we retrospectively included 184,252 adults from 32 regions in China, spanning from 2010 to 2016.

New information on Bonapartenykus (Alvarezsauridae: Theropoda) from the Allen Formation (middle Campanian-lower Maastrichtian) of Río Negro Province, Patagonia, Argentina clarifies the Patagonykinae body plan.

Alvarezsauria is a group of morphologically distinctive, medium- to small-sized later-diverging coelurosaurian theropod dinosaurs, whose record ranges from the Late Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous. This clade had a widespread distribution in Laurasia in what is now Europe, Asia, and North America, although there are also several Cretaceous taxa from Gondwana in what is now Argentina that all belong to the family Alvarezsauridae. Although alvarezsaurid taxonomic diversity and anatomical knowledge has expanded over the last decade, alvarezsaurid internal phylogenetic relationships remain highly debated.

The assessment of routine health information system performance towards improvement of quality of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health services in Ondo and Ekiti States, Nigeria.

Background: Nigeria's reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health indicators have remained unsatisfactory in the face of poor-quality healthcare services. Nigeria initiated the reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent, elderly + nutrition (RMNCAEH+N) quality of care (QoC) agenda to address the challenge. The health management information system (HMIS) is integral to the agenda but there is sparse evidence on its performance so far.

The physical activity and sedentary behavior among pregnant women in Macao: A cross-sectional study.

Objective: The current investigation sought to elucidate the prevalence and contributing factors of sedentary behavior among pregnant women in Macao, a densely populated region characterized by a distinctive fusion of Eastern and Western cultures and a thriving global economy.

Methods: Through a cross-sectional study design, a total of 306 expectant mothers were recruited via various social media platforms and completed a sociodemographic questionnaire alongside the Chinese version of the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire.

Results: The findings revealed that sedentary activities accounted for a relatively small proportion (7.

Improving myocardial infarction diagnosis with Siamese network-based ECG analysis.

Background: Heart muscle damage from myocardial infarction (MI) is brought on by insufficient blood flow. The leading cause of death for middle-aged and older people worldwide is myocardial infarction (MI), which is difficult to diagnose because it has no symptoms. Clinicians must evaluate electrocardiography (ECG) signals to diagnose MI, which is difficult and prone to observer bias.

In vitro cytotoxicity (irritant potency) of toothpaste ingredients.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the cytotoxicity (irritant potency) of toothpaste ingredients, of which some had known to have sensitizing properties.

Materials: From the wide variety of toothpaste ingredients, Xylitol, Propylene glycol (PEG), Sodium metaphosphate (SMP), Lemon, Peppermint, Fluoride, Cinnamon, and Triclosan and Sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) have been selected for evaluation of their cytotoxic properties.

Methods: Reconstructed human gingiva (RHG) were topically exposed to toothpaste ingredients at different concentrations.

Prevalence and genetic diversity of tick-borne encephalitis virus in ixodid ticks from specific regions of northwestern Russia.

Russia is a country with a high incidence of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). In northwestern regions of Russia, 110 TBE cases were registered in 2021. The largest numbers of TBE cases were registered in the Arkhangelsk region and St.

AutoPVPrimer: A comprehensive AI-Enhanced pipeline for efficient plant virus primer design and assessment.

Plant viruses pose a significant threat to global agriculture and require efficient tools for their timely detection. We present AutoPVPrimer, an innovative pipeline that integrates artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to accelerate the development of plant virus primers. The pipeline uses Biopython to automatically retrieve different genomic sequences from the NCBI database to increase the robustness of the subsequent primer design.

Constructions of solitary wave solutions for huge family of NPDEs with three applications.

This study offers closed-form solutions for the frequently utilised families of nonlinear partial differential equations (NPDEs). This form based on the He's semi-inverse technique. This form can be considered as a box solver for physicists, engineers and mathematicians.

Stochastic simulation of soil moisture dynamics in farmland in the eastern region of the Songnen Plain.

Soil moisture is the core of the hydrological cycle in agroecosystems, and most of the studies on soil moisture dynamics modeling adopt deterministic research methods, which are not well suited to study the hydrological processes in agricultural fields under changing conditions. Therefore, the present study adopts a stochastic approach to reveal the distribution characteristics of soil moisture in agroecosystems under the effects of soil, climate, vegetation, and other influencing factors. Using soil moisture and precipitation data and based on a stochastic model of soil moisture dynamics, the point-scale soil moisture dynamic characteristics and soil moisture probability density function of farmland systems in the Songnen Plain region were investigated.

Estimating the trend of COVID-19 in Norway by combining multiple surveillance indicators.

Estimating the trend of new infections was crucial for monitoring risk and for evaluating strategies and interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic revealed the utility of new data sources and highlighted challenges in interpreting surveillance indicators when changes in disease severity, testing practices or reporting occur. Our study aims to estimate the underlying trend in new COVID-19 infections by combining estimates of growth rates from all available surveillance indicators in Norway.

Generating context-specific sports training plans by combining generative adversarial networks.

Personalized sports training plans are essential for addressing individual athlete needs, but traditional methods often need to integrate diverse data types, limiting adaptability and effectiveness. Existing machine learning (ML) and rule-based approaches cannot dynamically generate context-specific training programs, reducing their applicability in real-world scenarios. This study aims to develop a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN)- based framework to create context-specific training plans by integrating numeric attributes (e.

Communicating with Stakeholders to Identify High-Impact Research Directions for Non-Targeted Analysis.

Non-targeted analysis (NTA) using high-resolution mass spectrometry without defined chemical targets has the potential to expand and improve chemical monitoring in many fields. Despite rapid advancements within the research community, NTA methods and data remain underutilized by many potential beneficiaries. To better understand barriers toward widespread adoption, the Best Practices for Non-Targeted Analysis (BP4NTA) working group conducted focus group meetings and follow-up surveys with scientists (n = 61) from various sectors (e.

The first complete hand-rearing of two neonatal finless porpoises.

Hand-rearing of marine mammals is an essential technique for the husbandry of orphans in captivity or the wild, especially endangered cetacean species. The purpose of the present study was to establish a method for successful hand-rearing and evaluate the nutritional state of neonatal finless porpoises. Two neonate finless porpoises maternally neglected at 5 days of age (Day 5) (neonate A, animal A) and Day 4 (neonate B, animal B) were hand reared.